I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: when it comes to fitness, eating habits, being timely, efficient, saving money, traveling, working, etc. planning is key. If you compare one who plans to one who does not, the outcome usually will be in the planners favor.

Planning is how you'll get through the next month or so of holiday parties, heavy traffic, financial worries, flight delays, bed time, etc.

Here are some tips to help you through it all

Large Wall CalendarIt should have enough room that you and the family, friends, or roommates can write their different activities in each day. Write everything out so the whole household can see what is going on. This is not only key for not forgetting, but also will let everyone know what is going on that day, or coming up! If there are any overlaps or conflicting events, you will know ahead of time, and can make arrangements. Less questions and conflicts equals less stress.

‘Twas the Night BeforeHave everything laid out and ready for the next day. Whether this means meals, clothing, holiday treats, or homework. With being in the holiday season, it is easy to push necessary things back or skip over them for something more fun. Making sure you have everything done the night before can save you from this! You will know that every night before bed you need to plan and be ready for the upcoming day.

Food or FeelingsThe holidays are a hard time for most people with consuming a bit too much food, whether it be the parties, stress eating, or lack of time. When you have everything planned out prior to the day, you will be much more successful. Sunday, take time and plan your week out. Make sure you have all of your groceries, or even start cooking ahead of time for the week. This way you will not have an excuse that you did not have time to make lunch, or that you’re too late to cook dinner. In addition, holiday office treats can be looked over because you planned a snack and packed for success!

Stressing about being stressedFigure out what healthy activities help you deal with stress, most of us have an increase of stress during the holiday seasons for an array of reasons. If your stress reliever is writing, make sure to have your notebook ready, accessible, and in clear sight to remind you that it is there for you! If the way you deal with stress is through fitness, schedule your classes or your gym time just as if it was a meeting you had at work, you cannot be late and you cannot skip it. If your stress reliever is talking to friends or family, plan specific times for phone calls.

I should sleep, but ...Yes the holidays are a busy time, but remember if you are substituting your sleep with other things, this can only last for so long. Lack of sleep usually will catch up with you, and in the end could possibly make things worse. Get an adequate amount of sleep. This will help you succeed and be more efficient the next day.

Not just a New Year’s resolutionSet goals and tasks to achieve short term, as well as long term. Know what you have to do that day, and set your mind to successfully completing everything. Make a list and cross the tasks off as you go. Not only does this keep you organized, but it also lets you visually see your progress!

I challenge you this upcoming holiday season to take everything one day at a time, plan ahead for success, but work through each day with the tips above! I challenge you to choose a few things that you know you struggle with in the holiday season, write them down and then plan ahead on how you will deal with them as they arise!

Kelly Thompson is a certified personal trainer who writes a fitness blog, Kelly's Charleston Challenge, for ABC News 4. If you have any questions, or need any suggestions, reach her via email at personaltrainingforlife@gmail.com, or use the hashtag #KellysCharlestonChallenge on social media.